Body found in creek identified as starved Texas boy

May 15, 2012|Reuters

By Jon Nielsen

DALLAS, May 15 (Reuters) - Officials with the Dallas Countymedical examiner's office said on Tuesday they have identified abody found in a Texas creek bed in March as that of 10-year-oldJohnathan Ramsey, who police have said was apparently starved todeath by his parents.

Police began searching for the boy on March 30 afterJohnathan's grandfather reported him missing.

The boy's father and stepmother told police they punishedhim for punching his pregnant stepmother in the stomach andcausing a miscarriage, according to the Dallas Morning News.

The pair locked Johnathan in a bedroom for months and fedhim only bread and water, the paper reported. Police believe hedied of starvation in August, the paper said.

The boy's father, Aaron Ramsey, 34, and his stepmother,Elizabeth Ramsey, 31, have been charged with injury to a child.

They both remained in the Dallas County Jail Tuesday, eachon $500,000 bond. A Dallas police spokesman could not be reachedfor comment on Tuesday.

Ellis County Justice of the Peace Bill Woody has said themedical examiner's report listed the boy's death as a homicide.